RE: Sam Harris On Defining Consciousness
August 25, 2015 at 5:58 pm
(This post was last modified: August 25, 2015 at 5:59 pm by Whateverist.)
(August 25, 2015 at 3:16 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: We might answer that question in terms of natural selection. Organisms with a central nervous system are better able to detect and avoid dangers within their immediate vicinity.
Seemingly so since there are so many multicellular critters about and inhabiting the top of every food chain. I may be showing a bias toward my kind, but I am certainly impressed with the capacities multicellular critters have evolved. Of course, from the point of view of single celled critter we probably look like some kind of malevolent BORG collective.
But as wonderful as our multicellular kind may be, I'm not sure we'd win a weigh off for biomass on the planet. (My hunch is we lose since the bottom of any food chain must be vast to support the top.) Likewise with diversity, there may be more species of single cell critters than there are of us. (Not at all sure of that, but when did that ever stop me? I'm spewing here - stand back.)
(August 25, 2015 at 3:16 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: You are looking at two different kinds (or levels if you prefer) of consciousness, or as you said, consciousness on a continuum. 1. the ability to respond to external or internal stimuli. 2. the cognition of one's own existence. The first is demonstrable under laboratory conditions But is there a difference between a human who says "I know that I exist" and a computer that's programmed to say the same thing?
If we agree to use one or the other of these two, that will go a long way in keeping the discussion focused and helping us know we are on the same page in the way we are using the word. I think wheteverist is using the second one and so am I.
Truly the only sort of consciousness we know from the inside or very well at all is our own. So I'm inclined to go along with the suggestion that we focus on what we know (type 2) - even if that knowledge has not been formalized. Shall we specifically concede that consciousness may exist to a degree even in a turnip?
Sorry but I'm an inorganic bigot - rocks are not conscious and computers that say "I know that I exist" don't make the cut either. Though I know some (hi Rhythm) would love to argue against that. I've got nothing to add beyond my gut intuition that you are mistaken.
